When Nature becomes the Muse

Anavila Misra

Designer Anavila Misra showcased her spring summer collection, ‘A Summer Stroll’ at the Lakme Fashion Week at Mumbai recently. Humanity has traded in a real jungle for a concrete, mechanical one. Devoid of green space to claim, we have resigned ourselves to the nostalgia of winding summer strolls in the evening. The rustling trees and wafting breeze have now been replaced by relentless drilling machines & swirling smog.

Anavila Misra

It is this feeling of being bereft of verdant vegetation that inspired the idea behind ‘A Summer Stroll’ collection. Derived from a strong love for nature, this fashion line merges geometric designs with botanical motifs, irregular shapes and marks to juxtapose the urban and natural environs. It’s an expression of the balance we are seeking in our modern lives.

Anavila Misra

So embrace the bracing sensation of wearing nature in its natural and fabricated glory as you stake to reclaim the last of metropolis’ foliage cover. After all, it was Khalil Gibran who said—“Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long.”

Anavila Misra

In sync with the changing landscape, the colour palette of the collection integrates elements like greenery, cement, stone, wood, and earth. Being an ardent enthusiast of organic textiles and rustic art, the elegant and very stylish Dia Mirza was the showstopper for the designer.

Good Luck Irani Cafe by Nida Mahmood

Good Luck Irani Cafe by Nida Mahmood

Style over tea and bun maska brings back memories, doesn’t it? Well, almost everyone who’s been raised in South Bombay in the glorious 90s gets filled with layers of nostalgia when they hear of Irani Cafes – some that have shut shop over time, and some that still dole out chai in bone China cups with a blob of maska (cream).

Good Luck Irani Cafe by Nida Mahmood

We all know of Nida Mahmood’s fascination with popular culture in all its whims and fancies and this season, she blended her love for the quirky with the ever-elusive magic of the Irani cafes of Bombay.

Good Luck Irani Cafe by Nida Mahmood

Her Spring/Summer 2015 collection, Good Luck Irani Cafe uses the old-warm, vintage charisma of the cafes through digital prints and dazzling colours. The collection unveils a stunning, bright palette, while experimenting with real blues reminding us of the dramatic heirloom china our mothers have been treasuring for years. Silhouettes are linear and super chic.